New method determines flow regime

and pressure losses during drilling

and cementing
09/04/1995
Roberto Maglione
Agip SpA
Milan, Italy
An innovative calculation method can easily determine the state of fluid flow (plug, laminar, transition, or turbulent
and pressure losses in drilling and cementing operations!
A correct evaluation of the type of flow can improve drilling operations, especially with regard to cuttings transport,
penetration rate, and cementing operations! "irculation test data from a deep well were used to validate the
theory!
#ydraulics parameters such as pump rate, pressure drop, state of flow, and velocity profile of fluids flowing in the
drilling hydraulic circuit are crucial for evaluating the optimum fluid performance during drilling and cementing a
well!
$roper hydraulics design can improve the drilling rate, cuttings transport, and mud displacement during
cementing, all of which can lower the total well cost! An accurate evaluation of the distribution of the pressure
along the depth of a well can optimi%e the pump rate to obtain the ma&imum available pump rate without
fracturing the crossed formation!
'he e(uations derived in this article describe a new way to consider the hydraulics of drilling fluids with yield
pseudoplastic behavior!
A dimensionless number, conceived as the ratio between the magnitude of the dynamic frictional forces (due to
the motion to yield forces, is used to determine both the state of the flow (without ta)ing into account the
*eynolds number and to evaluate the pressure drop gradient of the fluid flowing in a circular and annular section
(considered concentric! 'his number, that ta)es into account the characteristics of a fluid li)e the three
rheological parameters in the #erschel and +ul)ley model, gives an immediate evaluation of the flow regime and
easily establishes if the flow is in plug, laminar, transient, or turbulent conditions!
'he critical conditions of flow are determined by three precise critical values of the dimensionless number! 'hey
are the same for all the fluids having yield pseudoplastic behavior! 'he pressure drop also is calculated using
simple e&pressions, after the state of flow has been determined, by means of a friction correction coefficient that
gives the value for a correct evaluation of the pressure drop gradient of the flowing fluid!
'o validate the proposed theory, field and calculated data were compared, with only a very small error found!
,ield data were obtained from circulating tests in a 1-1./in! section of an ultradeep well!